City Council votes to trade property for texas theater

Sourced directly from the Reporter Newspaper website - Dec. 18, 2025 Edition.

The City of Hillsboro is still gauging community interest in repurposing the historic Texas Theater building in downtown Hillsboro after taking ownership of the property.

The Hillsboro City Council voted this month to accept the property from FNR Industrial in exchange for 115 South Waco Street, the former municipal court building, which was for sale.

The city leased the theater from FNR in June while exploring options for a possible community event center and assessing needed repairs.

"The city has received consistent strong feedback from the community prioritizing entertainment in general and the theater specifically," said City Manager Megan Henderson. "We had hoped during the lease period, which ends this month, to hold some limited cleanup and fundraising activities but were advised by the Texas Historical Commission to focus on structural engineering instead."

Based on the owner's decision not to renew the lease next year, the City Council moved forward with accepting the property in trade for the nearby city property.

"We will be moving forward very cautiously," said Henderson. "I’d expect some continued evaluation and modest work on the building to ensure its structural integrity, with anything more 'fun' to rely on fundraising and volunteer efforts."

Anyone interested in donating funding or volunteer hours is invited to contact Special Events Coordinator Allyson Cliett at 254-582-3271 or acliett@hillsborotx.org.